"And to be honest, readers, living to see the truth finally come to light is the main driver that’s keeping this website going. There is no hope of Scottish independence under the current SNP."
The truth he's talking about is the truth about any conspiracy intended to put Alex Salmond in jail for crimes he did not commit.
For years now, Mr Campbell's fan club has screamed blue bloody murder at anyone who has dared to suggest that Wings is no longer a pro-independence blog, in spite of the fact that - a) Mr Campbell said he would abstain in any new referendum on independence, b) he urged his readers to vote Labour at the general election in July (which means, incidentally, that he is in no position to say anything at all about the betrayal of the WASPI women), c) he indicated at one point that he was planning to vote Conservative at the general election, d) he urged his readers to vote for unionist parties in certain constituency seats in the 2021 Holyrood election, and e) the vast bulk of his blogging and social media output for many years has been about the trans issue, and not about independence or anything even vaguely related to it. If it's going to be argued that Wings is pro-indy in spite of all that, it would have to be assumed there's some kind of grand plan on Mr Campbell's behalf to use his site to break through the barriers and pursue independence by a radical alternative route. But now we have it from the horse's mouth - there is no plan. He has no alternative ideas to offer. He's given up on independence, and Wings is now nothing more than a trans issues / Justice for Salmond / Vote Labour site.
There was a cartoon on Wings at the time of Nicola Sturgeon's resignation which showed her at a junction in a path, with one sign pointing to "INDEPENDENCE" and another sign pointing to "OTHER STUFF". She, naturally, was finding her feet drawn to the "OTHER STUFF" path. Mr Campbell is now eagerly following her down that road. Establishing the truth of what happened in the run-up to the Salmond trial is an important matter, but it has got nothing to do with independence and is not going to get us to independence. If it becomes the all-consuming focus of a part of (or rather a former part of) the independence movement, something has gone very seriously awry somewhere.
As readers will probably appreciate, I'm considerably more ambivalent about the planned legal action on behalf of Alex Salmond than I was a year ago, because I've since been trampled all over by the Alba Party without a shred of due process and seen the same thing happen to other good independence supporters, and I know (at least to some extent) which specific individuals played a direct role in that. It's become clear that certain people's high-minded talk about "justice" is only really about "justice for the powerful" or "justice for the famous" or "justice for people I'm related to", and is not at all about justice as a general principle that everyone can and should benefit from equally. Nevertheless, if there was a conspiracy to jail Mr Salmond for political reasons, that's disgraceful and it's entirely appropriate to use the courts to bring the facts to light. But that's something Mr Salmond's family and friends can and will pursue. For the rest of us, our laser-like focus must remain on the goal of independence. I know there was some concern among Alba members two or three weeks ago about an appeal from the party leadership for funding that didn't really make clear whether the funds would be used for Alba's political campaigning, or for the Salmond justice campaign. The two concepts seem to be getting muddled up in a really quite dangerous way.
One of the many reasons I was hoping Kate Forbes would defeat Humza Yousaf in the 2023 SNP leadership election is that it would finally have moved the independence movement away from the Salmond v Sturgeon faultline. John Swinney can't provide such a decisive break because everyone knows he's more associated with Sturgeon, but nevertheless there have been some encouraging signs - Swinney has distanced himself from the Greens and de-emphasised gender ideology in a way that Sturgeon would never have done, and he made an important healing gesture by attending the Salmond memorial service. Let's not squander that progress by trying to perpetuate an internal Cold War within the Yes camp that is now well past its sell-by date. We have a country to win, so let's get back to doing that.
* * *
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Well said . Salmond is nae longer with us and Sturgeon is , I guess , no longer a political force .
ReplyDeleteUnity is now what matters
Alba gu brath!
Anon at 2.53pm says:- " I guess" - any evidence backing up your guess?
DeleteAnon at 2.53pm also says:- " Unity is now what matters."
Unity is what always mattered. " The problem is the people who created the disunity need to go because they cannae be trusted.
Me again. By " I guess " I meant exactly that . In other words I'm not 100% certain. I thought that was obvious. I am not party to the inner workings of Sturgeon's mind.
DeleteAnd I don't disagree that there has been some in the movement causing disunity and that they need to stop the mischief.
IFS you really don't need to be so nitpicking!
Anon at 3.50pm. I didn't think it was nitpicking. Just showing a genuine interest in your post. If you don't want people to read your posts and think about what you said and then comment on it try putting - "Please Don't Read and Definitely Don't Comment on My Post" right at the start. So it is just a guess with no info to back it up. Fair enough.
DeleteOn the other hand I disagree. The appointment of Yousaf and then Swinney is evidence. The ongoing cover up of past misdeeds during the Sturgeon era is also more evidence.
IFS . Me again
DeleteI dont object to anyone's comments but I did think it was a bit silly .
I used the word " guess".
This word suggests that it's an opinion that might be wrong . Notwithstanding that , it is difficult to see where Sturgeon can now go and rumour has it that she is not likely to stand in HR2026. Whether or no her acolytes continue her arguably malign influence is another matter.
Alba gu brath!
Anon at 4.17pm. Fair enough. I do think it's strange however that people seem to forget that there are two people currently being investigated for perjury by the polis around these matters. There are a lot of people in deep with possible criminal charges in their future.
DeleteThere are a lot of anon posters on SGP who assured us that Yousaf was the leader to take us to independence. They also seem to have quietly forgotten about this as he departs aged 39 with his FM pension ( after one year ) for services rendered.
I find the ‘justice for Salmond’ campaign bizarre. He got justice. He was cleared of all charges.
ReplyDeleteHe already won a judicial review.
There were complaints of harassment at work. These were used by his political opponents to ruin him but the complaints existed. Women did come forward. So yes his opponents made the most of the complaints
But it’s hard to see what good can come of the court case other than a financial benefit to his wife
Every action produces a reaction. The SNP aren’t going to sit quietly and let Salmond’s friends trash them. No doubt more details of his behaviour will be published.
As was said in court he was a bit over affectionate and his talk would be a borderline sexual but the problem for him is many women don’t put up with that behaviour anymore and complain
The behaviour isn’t criminal at all but it will make good headlines and tarnish his reputation more
Plus the case will not endear Alba to SNP voters who they need for the list vote
It won’t advance Alba or independence an inch
In fact the ongoing civil war is destructive to both
Salmond was never exonerated in the public mind; they created a smell about him. Just like you are now.
Delete- I don't know who you are but suppose I went around saying - oh aye, him, I heard a story from a guy I met in the town one night who said that YOU had done some dodgy stuff when you went to thailand on holiday and had to bin your phone ...
what do you say to these allegations?
- have they been completed disproved?
Fact : women lie, all the time, for all sorts of reasons, they have no sense of justice, shame or responsibility.
The alphabetties are group of women closely associated with Sturgeon. It would be obvious if we could name them ... but you aren't supposed to know who they are. Garavelli has publicly lied that there is no association - so let's name names.
A criminal conspiracy to put a man in jail for rape, is serious. Heads should roll.
There is no concrete evidence that the SNP are interested in independence post-Salmond, which is why they need to be gotten rid of; they are the weeds strangling new growth.
The irony is - when it comes to sexual crimes, the SNP is full of it; we have lesbians everywhere, predatory homosexuals, people who like to play grabass and blanket support for that youth gay scotland organisation, which is nothing more than a paedophile dating club.
A tell of the psychopath is to falsely accuse others of what they are guilty of.
"Fact : women lie, all the time, for all sorts of reasons, they have no sense of justice, shame or responsibility."
DeleteYou're not going to win friends and influence people that way. Some women lie, some men lie. It's not a gender thing.
Anon 4.14
DeleteWhat are you on ?
Anon at 3.48:
DeleteWas the first part of the post ghost-written by Kenny Farquharson, Neil Mackay or Euan McColm?
And there's definite problem thinking in the last section: Voters don't belong to the SNP. Voting for or joining a certain organisation is something individuals may choose to do on occasion. It's not genetic or profoundly cultural.
Agree. it’s all the women's fault argument should have been rejected out of hand. I would add that many people didn’t like Alex Salmond long before the allegations and trial. From memory proportionally more women. Either way Mr Salmond is no longer with us. Surely the best thing supporters of independence can do is get independence.
DeleteMoving forward let’s try an win a pro independence majority at Holyrood.
I agree with 4:14 PM. Women are terrible. We should only have men.
DeleteAnon @3.48pm. Was Patrick Grady guilty of a criminal offence and should he be smeared for the rest of his life? Why do you think the SNP covered up his sexual assault, which he eventually admitted to, but were determined to get Salmond.?
DeleteAnon at 4.27pm. It's hard to take your comment seriously when you don't even seem to have the facility to accurately direct and explain your comment. Anon says:- " Agree" - agree with what point or what post.
DeleteIt's hardly news that many people didn't like Salmond long before the allegations. It's hardly news that many people didn't like Sturgeon either.
Your post is of a poor standard.
Nope, they'd rather argue amongst themselves. Westminster's wee enablers. Salmond is died, RIP. For Scotland's sake move on
DeleteIfs- my response was to another post at 418 but no surprise Mr ANgry jumps in without taking stock.
DeleteAnon at 6.12pm. I also agree with 4.18pm. What does " jumps in without taking stock " even mean.. Am I supposed to somehow read your mind that you are referrring to the post at 4.18pm.
DeleteAnother poor post at 6.12pm. Try and raise your game and get the basics right of posting.
Salmond admitted asking a younger woman employee to his bed room, giving her alcohol and then cuddling her
Delete(The woman recalls him kissing and touching her) he admits being drunk
His defence also admitted a sexual relationship with Ms H
So as he says himself he was no angel. That’s what the public do not approve of - his admitted behaviour.
In reality if he hadn’t made it all about a conspiracy then he might have been forgiven by the public. But he totally failed to take responsibility for his own poor behaviour and instead is blaming others.
Anon6:36 'Sleepy cuddle' woman can be seen all over the Internet hanging on to Salmond's arm and smiling at him months AFTER the event. And H denied having had a relationship with him and said she found him physically repellant.
Delete"John Swinney can't provide such a decisive break because everyone knows he's more associated with Sturgeon, but nevertheless there have been some encouraging signs "
ReplyDeleteYes, he allowed two words in a redacted post just the other day. What a pity if he has to retire before getting to the end of a sentence.
The judicial review was different - the system was clearly wrong, and I put in my tenner, one of the first 100 to contribute. Quite rightly Salmond won that; the ScotGov should have put their hands up straight away rather than wasting our money. The system of justice is integral to Independence - I want it to be fully Scots law.
ReplyDeleteI don’t hold an opinion about Salmond's misfeasance claim, apart from yes, it’s good it gets to court, and see if the Justiciary can sort it out. It’s politicians and civil servants, but apart from that they are as far as I’m concerned, just another one or few of the Scottish People and have equal rights and equal responsibilities. For that the current court system should be adequate.
It's a fine line - what I say is you get good people and bad people in positions of authority - that's politics as much as anything.
That post by yesindyref2 clearly highlights the rank stupidity of the troll who posts that yesindyref2 and I are one and the same.
DeleteYesindyref2 likes to take a neutral view on the criminal plot to get Salmond - maybe aye maybe naw. I don't - there was one. I am surprised after all these years so many still claim not to know who any of the alphabetties are. That still you yesindyref2?
As a point of detail yesindyref2 - is it not a malfeasance claim? You say misfeasance.
Well that proves it. Ta.
DeleteStupid anons will be stupid.
DeleteI put "malfeasance" in another blog, but looking it up found the news talking about misfeasance. I just checked it out and found a good article by LPW:
Deletehttps://andrewtickell.co.uk/2023/11/26/misfeasance-in-public-office/
Scotland needs Wings (like a hole in the heid)
ReplyDeleteI'm having dinner in rather a nice hotel and have interrupted my shrimp, pomegranate seed and avocado parfait starter to make this comment.
DeleteRighty, OT.
ReplyDeleteI had a couple of emails about a survey for the (UK) DSIT - to an email address which I've never signed up for surveys for (I never do), and which the UK Gov could only have got from a bought spam harvested list. That's the competence or integrity of the UK Government for you.
That's actually UBE by the way - Unsolicited Bulk Email, which is quite possibly against the GDPR. Which is Law under - the UK Gov.
DeleteHave you checked your bulkheads lately?
DeleteNot yet Auntie.
DeleteCampbell must stay (in Bath)
ReplyDeleteAt least he’ll smell nice.
DeleteIs he Spanish? Or just weird?
DeleteThis is an IMPORTANT INTERVENTION.
ReplyDeleteI personally will continue to vote for the party I support on the list, which is what its for, and for my favoured candidate on the constituency, maybe going tactical here depending.
And seats don’t win us indepdence. If you somehow managed to persuade a million voters to do what you suggest and Yes parties get 70% of seats on 49% of the vote, all that would do is set the cause back probably. No mandate for independence and potential soft unionists totally disenfranchised / scared of a growing lack of democracy in Scotland. A ‘one Yes party state’ etc.
“ Scared of a growing lack of democracy in Scotland” Skier you were an idiot back in 2021 and I see time has not changed anything. There is no democracy in Scotland but there you are arguing the unionist case again that we must play fair and not be anti democratic.
DeleteHearty cheerios, my beloved friends.
ReplyDeletewhateversits
DeleteI am a malcontent and I jump in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries so there ! oh so great Zulfikar
DeleteAs a veteran observer of these matters I feel that I should now endorse Celine Gottwald as the candidate who has fearlessly expounded her vision and yet remains free of the merest whiff of sleaze, corruption and vulgar self-interest.
ReplyDelete"Oh glory, glory," as Countess Vegdomika said in relation to something else.
Delete"Fact : women lie, all the time, for all sorts of reasons, they have no sense of justice, shame or responsibility."
ReplyDeleteTHE most MISOGYNISTIC, DUMB quote of the year, on here???
Must be, surely???
Just to clarify -
ReplyDeleteI want indy with an SNP government in place for now. People who want indy and Alba polices can vote that way. Support Green + Indy? Vote that way! Everyone happy. Green and Alba need to earn my vote if they want it. Offer me policies I like. Neither do this sufficiently.
Okey-dokey, carry on.
To get back to the main content of your post, James -
ReplyDeleteI used to be a contributor to Wings' treasure-chest on the lead up to Indyref and kept that going afterwards, although I had some disagreements with Campbell on-line....one of which was when he was trying to get you ostracised.
He was an invaluable resource at that time and a fantastic debunker of a lot of Unionist MSM false/lying guff.
I also got the Wee Blue Book and used it successfully to 'convert' members of my own extended family and some friends, from No to Yes.
After the Salmond affair, however, Campbell totally flipped from being first and foremost a Pro-Indy supporter, to a conspiracy-theory zealot on Salmond's behalf. Everything became secondary to that mission and, as you correctly highlighted in your opening post, that mission is all he now stands for........apart from self-combusting on various Trans issues.
I also seem to remember him at one point telling Scots to "Leave Scotland" as it was such a terrible place to exist.
The guy is off his wee rocker and would cheerfully burn-down not only his hated SNP, but probably Holyrood and Scotland itself, to serve his twisted moronic agenda.
He now lives and breathes primarily to 'kill' the SNP - and it is no coincidence that he and the Alba Party seem joined at the proverbial.
The Indy Movement 'needs' that balloon and his mates in the same way the Pro-EU Movement 'needed' Farage the Frog and UKIP..
"and it is no coincidence that he and the Alba Party seem joined at the proverbial"
DeleteWell, in one sense that's true, but the fact remains that in July he told people to vote Labour and reject Alba. The Alba leadership sycophantically fawn over him, but get very little in return. It's an odd little arrangement.
Not only the Alba Leadership, James.
DeleteSeems he is still remarkably popular with Alba Members/Supporters, too. Certainly with the ones I have met.
The only party in Scotland that asks other parties to vote for them is the British Tory Labour Lib Dem pact party
ReplyDeleteWhy should the SNP ask their own supporters to vote for other parties when the others don’t vote SNP?
A court case will hopefully determine the facts of the A S prosecution. If there was indeed a conspiracy those involved have to be jailed for 10 years plus. If I was one of the women involved I’d be approaching the crown office to plea bargain. Let’s hope one or more of them has the sense to do so.
ReplyDeleteYou don't 'plea bargain' when, not only have you not been reported/charged with anything whatsoever, but there is presently absolutely no 'case' to answer.
DeleteYou do, in anticipation of what’s coming, and to facilitate an earlier trial for the others, if you have the evidence that allows it. they each individually have that evidence. Standard procedure and wise in the circumstances.
DeleteEh, no.
Delete"They" - meaning I presume the women involved - are no longer even involved in the Criminal Justice System, let alone being 'suspected' of anything, at present.
There is presently no need whatever for them to take any action at all.
The rest of your post is nothing but conjecture and opinion - none of which need concern those women at all.
There is so much unbridled misogyny against the complainants it’s quite disgusting.
DeleteThe women told of their experience
In no way was Salmond a criminal but that does not mean the women lied
Even H might have just got the date wrong and it was admitted that she had a sexual relationship with Salmond
Sturgeon et al used these complaints against Salmond for political reasons but the complaints weren’t lies. It’s the COPFS that turned them into criminal charges not the women
Nonsense David. They know what is probably coming. People can and do approach the police with evidence and offer to give evidence in exchange for facing lesser charges themselves, long before a prosecution. It’s a risky but potentially valuable process. You watch too much Telly I suspect. Of course I am expressing an opinion. It’s the point of btl. Stick to things you know about.
DeleteAnon 7.24 pm
DeleteThere is zero chance of the women being charged with anything
They due nothing wrong
This drolling fantasy that somehow the women will be punished for daring to speak about how they were treated by a powerful man is just that - a fantasy
David, you seem to forget there are two polis cases ongoing re perjury pertaining to these matters. So where you say there are no cases you are wrong.
DeleteAnon@7:33, The only fantasy involved was the fantastic stories made up by the Alphabetties, one of whom wasn't even in the building when she claimed to have been assaulted.
DeleteIfs
DeleteThere is only one police investigation. Outstanding from a complaint made by Salmond about a male civil servant
None of the women complainants are under investigation
Anon 7.42 pm
DeleteThe alphabetie that wasn’t in the building on the date mentioned but nonetheless has a sexual relationship with Salmond as stated by Salmonds defence in court
the whole thing is like kafka meets tales of baron munchausen
Delete- best laff was the contortionist molestation in the back of the limo, over the arm rest (a real up and under), silently, ninja style, so the woman's husband, in the front seat, and the driver would not notice
Also, doing a bad rape on the invisible woman who was not there, telemagically with the power of his mind. Paul Daniels stuff.
"it was real, in my mind" say the alphabetties.
Some people call that perjury.
For goodness sake there is an absolute barrage of wrong facts on this thread eg one of the alphabetties is under investigation for perjury along with the civil servant. It remains to be seen where any of these cases go but try and get the facts right.
DeleteIFS.
DeleteWrong.
What there are, are two investigations into allegations of perjury against one male senior civil servant and the separate leaking of information to the press.
These are being led by senior independent counsel with COPFS assistance, as far as I understand.
Neither inquiry has yet concluded as to whether there may be a criminal case to answer, or whether there will be no criminal cases to answer at all.
The police are not involved and neither are any of the original women complainants as far as I am aware.
Anon at 6.07pm says:- " A court case will hopefully determine the facts of the A S prosecution. "
DeleteAnon I am assuming you support independence. You will accept that the media do not always report the truth. The court cases that have already happened determined a lot of the truth but the British media did not report it. Hence you get the misinformed and uninformed comments in the stream above.
Do you think Swinney attended as a good will gesture? I think he attended purely because he’s first minister and calculated that not attending might be more damaging than attending. He had a face like fizz throughout which Sky News couldn’t bring itself to look away from
ReplyDeleteWonder if the ridiculous morons screaming "Traitor" at him on his arrival had any affect on his overall demeanour/facial expression thereafter?
DeleteNo. He always looks like that. He's a miserable git.
DeleteA bit like you, then???
DeleteSturgeon's guilt is obvious, simply because throughout her career she has been a control-freak who has to know everything that is going on, and approve of any actions - she does not tolerate creativity or the freethinker or the independently minded (in any sense) ... so ... all this "stuff" is happening to Salmond and she knows nothing, and its not under her control and she doesn't know what is going on and when questioned about it all she becomes this scatterbrain who doesn't seem to keep a diary or records ...
ReplyDelete- except it was her chief flying monkey, her hench, Liz Lloyd who was running around, twisting arms and getting everyone on board. And all the while the chief never asked her minion : "Liz, what are you actually doing right now, I need some memos done ..."
"sorry chief, I am doing stuff by myself on your time that you don't need to know about"
"well that's okay then"
- aye, right
let's all google for "cutout" and "plausible deniability"
"Princes should delegate to others the enactment of unpopular measures and keep in their own hands the distribution of favors."
—Machiavelli
I could send you a pack of Tarot cards for Xmas if you like. Or "Knit your own conspiracy" on DVD. Love you ❤️
DeleteAlex Salmond praised Stuart Campbell for his blog.
ReplyDelete